Died 5 July 1944 | ||
Hans Dobek, also known as Hellmuth Dobbrick, (March 3, 1907 – buried July 5, 1944 in Costermano, Verona), was a Major in the Nazi German Ordnungspolizei (Orpo) during the Second World War and was also a Sturmbannführer in the SS.
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Dobek served in the Schutzpolizei of the Orpo. He was later assigned to command the 3rd battalion of the SS Police Regiment Bozen, from September 15, 1943 to July 5, 1944. He oversaw the activities of five police companies, one of which (the 11th company) was a garrison security force assigned to Rome.
Dobek was a participant in the failed putsch between 25 and July 30, 1934 against the Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. He was sentenced to hard labor. He was later released alongside other jailed Austrian SS soldiers and subsequently negotiated between Kurt Alois von Schuschnigg and Hitler in 1938.
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Dobek is remembered for refusing to place his men at the disposal of Herbert Kappler to conduct the Ardeatine massacre. Dobek was placed under house arrest by Kurt Mälzer, the garrison commander of Rome, under charges of insubordination. Malzer had threatened a charge of treason, but this was never filed. All charges against Dobek were later dropped in light of the rapid advance of Allied armies through Italy and the retreat of German forces.
Dobek was killed by Italian partisans in Veneto on July 5, 1944. Dobek was later dramatically portrayed in the film Massacre in Rome.
He received Blutorden Nr. 2169, one of the most prestigious decorations in the Nazi Party.